The previous head of the NYPD’s Faculty Security Division solicited and accepted bribes from the CEO of a Florida-based tech firm in a bid to snag a multi-million deal to place his panic button software program in New York Metropolis’s public faculties, federal prosecutors charged Thursday.
The previous NYPD chief, Kevin Taylor, and the manager, Geno Roefaro of Saferwatch, have been each arrested and charged with bribery.
Beginning in July 2023, Roefaro plied Taylor with $70,000 in money and holidays for him and an unnamed feminine paramour to the Bahamas and Las Vegas, the indictment alleges. The Vegas bribe included tickets to a helicopter tour and a “medieval-themed dinner theater,” the indictment says.
The alleged bribes have been a part of a broader scheme by Saferwatch to snag a serious metropolis contract that additionally concerned three brothers: ex-Deputy Mayor for Public Security Philip Banks, III, ex-Colleges Chancellor David Banks (each appointees of former Mayor Eric Adams) and Terence Banks.
As a part of this marketing campaign, Saferwatch employed a guide agency Terence arrange, enabling it to arrange conferences with each of his brothers, Philip and David, as first reported by THE CITY.
That CITY article induced Taylor to fret that his behind-the-scenes effort to rework a pilot program he had arrange for Saferwatch into an $11 million contract could be uncovered, prosecutors revealed of their 29-page indictment.
The case introduced by Manhattan U.S. Lawyer Jay Clayton alleges that Taylor “on a number of events” boasted to distributors searching for contracts about his shut ties to Mayor Adams and Deputy Mayor Banks. Information present Taylor met with Philip Banks concerning the “panic button.”
The indictment says Saferwatch started its marketing campaign to win a giant New York Metropolis contract in the summertime of 2022, the primary 12 months of the Adams administration.
The corporate first employed former Metropolis Council Speaker Corey Johnson, who met with David Banks in December 2022 after which with Philip Banks and his chief of workers in January 2023, pitching the agency’s product.
However sooner or later, Saferwatch additionally employed Terence Banks’ agency, and Philip Banks later confirmed he’d spoken together with his brother concerning the agency.
Based on data reviewed by THE CITY, Philip Banks met with Taylor a couple of days after the pitch by Johnson. In September, Taylor organized a no-bid buy order of $19,000 to start out a pilot program at 5 faculties. That November, Taylor testified to the Metropolis Council that he deliberate to roll the panic button out citywide.
In between, prosecutors say, Roefaro started handing Taylor wads of money, beginning with $20,000, then $15,000, then one other $35,000, whereas Taylor started recommending to his superiors that the NYPD award Saferwatch the $11 million contract.
The CEO additionally allegedly funded the Vegas trip that September that included air fare, a luxurious resort room, a helicopter tour of the town and an evening of retro enjoyable at a “medieval-themed dinner theater.” That was adopted in November by a visit to the Bahamas, the indictment alleges.
By that December, nonetheless, Roefaro started to complain that each one of his funds to Taylor weren’t turning into an precise contract. Utilizing the encrypted Sign app, he texted Taylor, “I’ve obtained nothing from you brother and I’m already in for lots of of 1000’s of {dollars}.”
Taylor responded, “You bought nothing from me? You possibly can’t play with the massive boys and piss like a pet.” (Prosecutors say they have been capable of recuperate some Sign conversations as a result of the individuals screen-grabbed and saved them.)
With the top of 2023 approaching, Roefaro’s tone darkened dramatically. In a Dec. 22, 2023 textual content to Taylor, he wrote, “It’s been enjoyable but it surely’s not enjoyable or humorous anymore.” Demanding outcomes by finish of 12 months, he acknowledged, “If not I’m fucked and also you don’t need me to be fucked. I’m each your whore and your sugar daddy multi function. I would like you to take this severely.”
Taylor obtained so far as arranging a mid-January 2024 press convention with Division of Schooling officers to announce a cope with Saferwatch, however on the final minute, the occasion was cancelled. Saferwatch didn’t get any contracts, and Taylor was faraway from his function as commanding officer of the Faculty Security Division a couple of weeks later, demoted to a lesser function inside the NYPD.
That Sept. 4, the FBI and metropolis Division of Investigation seized the cell telephones of a number of high officers within the Adams administration, together with Philip and David Banks, in addition to digital units from Terence Banks, as first reported by THE CITY. Saferwatch acquired a subpoena on the identical time.
5 days later, when THE CITY printed a narrative describing Saferwatch’s hiring of Terence Banks and assembly together with his brothers, Taylor texted a hyperlink of the story to an unidentified particular person expressing concern that Saferwatch’s CEO “might incriminate Taylor if approached by legislation enforcement.”
The unidentified particular person agreed.
Taylor’s legal professional, Richard Langone, and Roefaro’s lawyer, Danya Perry, didn’t reply to THE CITY’s requests for remark late Thursday.
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The submit Ex-NYPD Official Indicted for Accepting Bribes From Tech Exec in Scheme First Reported by THE CITY appeared first on THE CITY – NYC Information.
